"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Poll: ToA...Masters or P1/2

Seriously considering doing the P 1/2 at the Tour of Arkansas:

http://www.tour-of-arkansas.com/

Look, I'm realistic. I'm gonna be nowhere near the front. If there's a time cut I might be out on the first day. Then again, I might be able to hang, I've done several races where we've done the same stages as the Pros and my times generally get me in the grupetto, especially where stuff goes uphill.

I'm old. The years are creeping up. I don't have young legs but they aren't bad. So...

Looks pretty tough.

P1/2

Sometimes you gotta say "what the f***"
P 1-2

Doing Masters instead of P/1/2 is the first step toward AARP. Don't do it! Fight it as long as you can!

P1/2.

Why the hell not? It's never fun being the tallest midget in the circus anyway.

P 1/2. Gotta look out for the poor old folks of the great state of Arkansas. Can't have you freely ravaging their poor souls.

You don't live forever.

DO IT. P12

My heart says P1/2 but my brain would say masters. I would hate to pay my money only to be out on day one due to time. I tend to play it safe in these situations.

P/1/2 all the way.

I voted for P/1/2, even though I usually go for masters. I'd do more P/1/2 races though if I could get my teammates to do them too.

P/1/2

If I had the time budget, I'd be racing 3s on these weekend races to get my upgrade. Given the time I have M35+ makes more sense. The guys winning M35+ are strong P/1/2 finishers anyway, so the ability is similar, it's just the 2x distance :)

P1/2

Seriously considering doing the P 1/2 at the Tour of Arkansas:

http://www.tour-of-arkansas.com/

Look, I'm realistic. I'm gonna be nowhere near the front. If there's a time cut I might be out on the first day. Then again, I might be able to hang, I've done several races where we've done the same stages as the Pros and my times generally get me in the grupetto, especially where stuff goes uphill.

I'm old. The years are creeping up. I don't have young legs but they aren't bad. So...

Were it me, I would register for the Masters.

However, based on reading your posts, you have exceptional tactical sense, and the legs of a "big boy". Therefore, if I were you, I'd do the big boy race.

Holy crap, three 100 mile days in a row.

Hey, if you can do 110 miles, 11k feet vert, more power to you. But that's stage one (!). If you're worried about the time cut does that mean you're convinced you won't finish with the big boys? Meaning the main field, not whoever wins at the front.

I imagine the Masters go shorter?

Tactics, other than sitting in and somehow moving up for the climbs, means diddly when you're climbing 11k feet. Save, save, save, squirt up, and drift back. I guess you can lose a spot every 100 feet vertical. I'd lose 100 spots in that distance...

If you are having a good early season and you may not be able to do it again, then, well, give it a shot. If you're used to doing such distances etc that leans you more towards doing it. But if you've had a poorer than normal early season, you feel less than 100%, then I'd skip the big one and go for the Masters.

cdr

Holy crap, three 100 mile days in a row.

Hey, if you can do 110 miles, 11k feet vert, more power to you. But that's stage one (!). If you're worried about the time cut does that mean you're convinced you won't finish with the big boys? Meaning the main field, not whoever wins at the front.

I imagine the Masters go shorter?

Tactics, other than sitting in and somehow moving up for the climbs, means diddly when you're climbing 11k feet. Save, save, save, squirt up, and drift back. I guess you can lose a spot every 100 feet vertical. I'd lose 100 spots in that distance...

If you are having a good early season and you may not be able to do it again, then, well, give it a shot. If you're used to doing such distances etc that leans you more towards doing it. But if you've had a poorer than normal early season, you feel less than 100%, then I'd skip the big one and go for the Masters.

cdr

Thanks for the input. They haven't posted the Master's race info yet, so I'm not sure what they have planned, other than it will probably be a two day SR, I kinda like the 3-5 day stuff because I usually recover well.

Given that it's a full on NRC event (Jelly Belly has already registered) if things get off the hook early and I have a bad day (or flat) it could be a short week if they have a time cut. I also need to see about neutral support. I've done similar distances and climbing on back to back days, so while I'd reign in the flyers and go in knowing it's going to hurt, the attraction of a great spectator seat, no centerline rule, and rolling enclosures are pretty attractive.

p1-2
Might as well go for it. At the very least it will make a good story and memory.

I don't have the time to train like a pro but I decided to upgrade so I could race with them for reasons which include the above.
Sometimes local p1-2 crits here are like full on NRC events depending on which pros who call Boulder their home show.

NRC events are only open to P/1, right?


Edit: It isn't on the NRC calendar either, Hood is that weekend.

NRC events are only open to P/1, right?


Edit: It isn't on the NRC calendar either, Hood is that weekend.

You're right.

Then why Jelly Belly?

Hmmmm.

Maybe their B squad?

Well the fact that you're even asking means that you WANT to do the P12. Why not? Seeing as you're at that level, there's more to your drive than just racking up results... you want a hard, worthy race, IMO. You'll get it.

It's not like you're gonna retire on your winnings if you blow away the masters field... just go where it's more fun.

Well the fact that you're even asking means that you WANT to do the P12. Why not? Seeing as you're at that level, there's more to your drive than just racking up results... you want a hard, worthy race, IMO. You'll get it.

It's not like you're gonna retire on your winnings if you blow away the masters field... just go where it's more fun.

It's also not like the typical masters field is a recovery ride pace. I'm sure a good, hard worthy race can be found in a masters field as well, just a notch below the P/1/2, and not as long.

It's also not like the typical masters field is a recovery ride pace. I'm sure a good, hard worthy race can be found in a masters field as well, just a notch below the P/1/2, and not as long.

In some cases shorter Master's races end up being faster. Looking at some of the fields you end up with ex pro ex pro ex pro ex pro.

In some cases shorter Master's races end up being faster. Looking at some of the fields you end up with ex pro ex pro ex pro ex pro.

Tell me a bout it. Really sucks when you're a Cat 4 racing masters.